Breaking Silence About the B-3

Strategy Page ^ | 3/13/08 | Jim Dunnigan

[strongbow]

You be right. Should have known that such mistakes would be soon corrected on FR. On second look now I can see the B58 profile even at poor resolution. The Hustler was one of my favorite models as a kid also. Do kids still build model planes?

[Nowhere Man]

Unfortunately, the B52s are/were being chopped up as part of the arms reduction treaty.

Geez, I hate it when we sign these things, I'd never sign treaties, in my book, they are made to be broken. As the saying goes, "just ask any Indian."

Hope we don’t need them anytime soon

Amen.. I was even going to suggest the B-47, would they be covered under the treaty?

[Nowhere Man]

The F-102 was the widow maker. A very dangerous aircraft.

We had them here in Pittsburgh in the Penna Air Nat'l Guard (PANG) in the 112th Squadron. I know the man who headed the repair shop and he told me that if they turned too tight, they would "chuff" in the air and make for a bumpy ride to say the least.

[Centurion2000]

I waited 33 years for 2001 come around. I am so bummed.

You can thank the UN Outer space Treaty for the lack of progress. No private property rights in space at all. What's the point of going there until someone repudiates the treaty?

[lmailbvmbipfwedu]

From what I understand the B-52s that were chopped were ‘D’ models, the others are still around. The ‘H’ models are still on active duty, and ‘G’, I worked on, I don’t know.

[Lexinom]

Unless I'm mistaken, that silver bird in the distance is a B-58 Hustler - one of the meanest bombers we've ever fielded.

I built a 1/48 scale of one, complete with airbrushed natural metal finish, for my son a couple of months ago. Marvelous airplane.

[Lexinom]

Ah, so that IS a Hustler accompanying the XB-70!

[Lexinom]

Oh, and to paraphrase Michelle Obama, seeing pictures like that makes me really proud to be an American! ;-)

[colorado tanker]

I saw an interview with a B-2 pilot. They usually fly missions from Missouri, even to Iraq. The plane doesn't have a place to bed down when one of them takes a nap on those very, very long flights. So, they went down to Walmart and bought a lawn chair they flatten out in the back of the crew compartment. High tech solution!

[RightWhale]

Dysfunctional without a Leslie

[InterceptPoint]

Price has definitely become a factor

Indeed it is and that's why we will wait to 2018 for this beauty.

I don't think it really takes 10-15 years to develop a new bomber, particularly when you have the B-2 development experience as a starting point. This is a development cost issue. The Air Force is stringing the development out over several years to minimize the impact on their overall budget. The production costs will be handled in the same way. They will just build fewer of them than they would like and they will take longer to do it.

[exit82]

Thanks for the pic, Double T!

Color me jealous of you being able to be that close to this magnificent bird.

[exit82]

I don’t know if kids build model planes, or any models. I see them in various stores and hobby shops. I know I can’t pass them up without looking at them, and ticking off the ones I built 40 years ago. What is amazing is that some of the same companies(Revell, Monogram, and Lindberg) are still producing the exact same models.

I still remember, fondly, reading the outside of the box and the great artwork. The Testor’s glue was a must, and yeah, it smelled cool, but we never thought of “sniffing” it to get high. Poring over the instruction sheet, cutting, wetting and applying the decals, what fun.

And of course, you could just never throw out a model plane. There was only one dignified way to send it to Valhalla.

Tie it to clothesline, insert a firecracker or two, give the line a hefty tug, light the fuses,and watch the bird blow up all over the backyard.

If I did that today, I’d probably be arrested. Besides, who even has a clothesline anymore!

[exit82]

Glad we’re both on the same wavelength regarding John F’n Kerry.

[exit82]

Chuff—I think the term implies a partial or full flameout, but I am not sure.

I can’t imagine the anxiety caused by a hiccup on that fighter.

[Tommyjo]

That image is a fake. The creator Bill Rose produced it for a magazine article back in 1995. Every man and his dog since then has used and spread it as an actual image.

[mad_as_he$$]

TJ, we were just funnin’ and I hope everyone knew that!!!;_)

[Tommyjo]

Wasn’t just the Ds. The Gs are also destroyed under treaty compliance.

For example.

http://www.angelfire.com/sc/candlemaker/B-52Boanyard

[johnny7]

That image is a fake.

Funny as hell though...